


Bunking Up

by allegoricalrose (SilentStars)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Sharing a Bed, bunk beds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 06:42:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3800674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentStars/pseuds/allegoricalrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bunk bed fluff</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bunking Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fleurdeneuf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurdeneuf/gifts).



> Happy birthday to fleurdeneuf!

“Rose.”

She froze, her legs tangled in the sheets. “Yeah?”

“You’re making the bunk shake. Are you alright up there?”

She puffed out a sigh and flung off the aggressively thick duvet. “Sorry. Can’t fall asleep. Too tired or something; my bones ache from all that running today. I’ll try to stay still.”

The small room fell silent again. “Rose?”

“Doctor?”

“Is the top bunk comfortable enough for you?” She heard the concern in his voice and couldn’t stop herself from smiling in the dark.

“Yeah. It’s fine. Sorry, never mind me.”

Turning as quietly as she could onto her side, she jammed the pillow up under her head and willed herself to sleep. Her neck spasmed instead and she flopped back onto her stomach and shoved the pillow aside.

A muffled thump. Oops.

“Rose?”

“Sorry, sorry. Just dropped my pillow.” The mattress underneath her creaked and she shot up, bolting to the ladder and beginning to climb down before he could get out of bed.

“I’ll get it, don’t worry. Thanks, though, I’ve got it.” With almost manic speed she snatched the pillow off the ground and scurried back to the ladder.

“Rose. Come here.”

She paused, breathing heavier than she should for only climbing down a bunk bed. As her eyes began to adjust to the dark, she heard him pat the bed beside him and realised he was sitting up in bed.

“Really, I’m fine, sorry to keep you awake, I—”

He gestured toward the empty spot beside him again and she bit her lip before taking a deep breath and stepping off the ladder. She didn’t move toward his mattress, though, just stood still and fiddled with her rings.

The Doctor sighed after a moment and then hauled his legs out of bed. The room was dark but she just about made out his bare legs, his knobbly knees, the dark hair on his calves. She was so busy staring that his tug on her hand caught her off balance and she tumbled down onto the mattress with him.

“Rose. You’re practically electric with energy.  What’s going on?”

She squirmed at his side, trying to sit up in a more graceful position. “Nothing.” He said nothing, waiting. “Maybe I’m a little on edge.”

His voice softened. “Why?”

“I…” She swallowed and looked down at her hands, fighting the urge to uncross and cross her legs again, to bite her nails, to twist her hair between her fingers. “Not sure. Close call today, maybe.”

“Close call? You were perfectly safe, you… Oh.” The Doctor swallowed loudly in the silent room. “You mean me.”

“Yeah,” she admitted, blushing and glad of the cloak of darkness.

He was quiet again but without pause his hand covered hers and gripped it tightly. “It wasn’t so close. Time Lords, we… Anyway, I’ve shown you the emergency return feature on the TARDIS. You’ll always be able to get home, even if it does come to that.”

There was a prickle behind her eyes and her lips curled downward of their own accord and in that split second before she burst into tears, she hated herself and her bloody human weaknesses.

His arm came around her immediately and drew her face into his chest, stroking her hair as she tried to calm her gasping sobs. “Shh, it’s okay. Rose, it’s okay. Okay to be affected by things like this, all the dangerous situations we get into. You don’t always have to be strong; your emotions are there for a reason.”

Far from assuaging her crying, his gentle words only made things worse and to her horror she began to shake in his arms. He continued to whisper quiet assurances in her ear, words and consoling noises that began to lose all meaning except imparting an all-encompassing feeling of warmth and safety.

Eventually her breathing became less raspy and the tears subsided. She turned out of the Doctor’s soaking-wet t-shirt and wiped at her face with the back of her hand. When he set the pads of his thumbs to the task as well, she had to squash the urge to burst into tears again, but she managed, sniffing instead.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, already twisting out of his grip so he could get back to the sleep she’d interrupted, but he held firm.

“Stay. Down here, I mean. With me.” The Doctor’s words held his usual authority and confidence; it was only because she could feel his breath hitch that she noticed the slight hesitancy.

“Yeah?”

“It’s been a long day. You need to sleep; I’ll make sure you do.”

She nodded, flushing down to the tips of her toes, and he softly guided her to lie down on the side of the bed closest to the wall. Pulling the duvet up over her, he swung his legs back up and over the coverings and turned on his side to face her. Their bodies didn’t touch but the weight of him over the duvet created deep pressure that caused a wave of exhaustion to wash over her.

“Sweet dreams, Rose,” the Doctor intoned and she hummed back, warm and utterly boneless after her emotional wringing-out.

She felt blissful enough that nothing in her mind conspired to inhibit a burrowing closer to him, a half-dreamt nuzzle into his shoulder. Just as she began the steep fall into sleep, his arm curled around her waist over the bedclothes and she hummed again, slipping an arm out from the duvet and draping it across his chest.

“Sweet dreams, Doctor,” she mumbled, falling into dreams of him responding back with mumbles about nothing tasting sweeter than being awake.


End file.
